Ralph Branca
So I’m watching the movie, Parental Guidance over the holidays when I spot Ralph Branca in this one scene near the end of the movie. How did I know it was Branca, the old Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher famous for serving up the home run pitch to Bobby Thomson that won the 1951 pennant for the New York Giants? Having seen Branca on TV through the years and being the baseball nut I am, it was kind of easy. And given the fact that Billy Crystal played a former baseball announcer in the movie who was trying to help his grandson overcome a stuttering problem, in part by having him listen to and recite the late Russ Hodges’ broadcast of that epic game … well … I quickly concluded that the old guy who appeared at the end of the movie might be Branca. “You know, you’re probably the only person in the theater who knows that,” my wife said. At any rate, I thought it was a nice touch. Do you think Crystal, an old baseball nut himself, had anything to do with sticking Branca in there? Remember the baseball references in Crystal’s film, “City Slickers.” Maybe you were among those who successfully answered the trivia question slipped into the movie, the one about Don Hoak. I thought so.
A lot of buzz over Dick Hayhurst
Okay. I’m going to have to break down and read one of the Dick Hayhurst books. Seems there’s a lot of buzz about Hayhurst and his body of work which consists of three books, including Bullpen Gospels. Look for a review of one of his books in an upcoming blog.
didn’t know it was Ralph until my eyes jumped out when I saw his name in credits in the role of “Legendary Judge”. THEN, the movie made even MORE sense, as it highlights that it is a part of REAL life to actually lose. The real competition of that singular 1951 moment was the contrast versus the little league scene where the kids are all coddled, the moms say its “boring”, no one strikes out, and no one wins. THAT was the real message in the movie…and the Branca cameo underscores the REAL nature ..that the 1951 game wasn’t just a folm clip..and lookee..Ralph LOST the game,..and he had a successful life. Its better to compete..and try..and lose ..and have that experience..that moment..than to never compete or try at all. Back the, no one got a medal just for showing up like they do today. The Branca cameo was a stroke of genius. I HAd to tell some older folks in the theatre…when I told them who it was, they actually remember the 1951 broadcast!…so they were stunned it was the real pitcher of that moment they still remember..62 yrs later!
Great insight. I got to say, I didn’t think it through that much. You know for many years, Branca and Bobby Thomson would appear together in public and recount that famous home run. Branca was never really the same pitcher after that season, although an injury the following year may have been the real reason for his demise. At any rate, Branca eventually accepted what happened in that fateful playoff game and by all accounts has had a pretty nice life. How many people can say they played for the Brooklyn Dodgers and appeared in a Billy Crystal movie?
It’s funny how things have changed with kids and sports. My 91-year-old mother just commented yesterday how kids never play outside anymore. The only time they get outside is to play organized sports. She remembers when I was a kid, outside all day, playing all sorts of baseball and football pickup games, along with tag, hide-and-seek, or just riding around the neighborhood on my bike. Mom still lives in the same house where I grew up and gets nostalgic, I guess. Of course, we always think the old days were better, and in a lot of ways they were.
Good luck with the Hayhurst books!
Thanks for the reminder. I was actually looking for a book to read last night. I ended up re-reading sections of Leo Durocher’s “Nice Guys Finish Last.” I think I’ll download one of the Hayhurst books to my Kindle and start reading that this weekend. It’s going to snow tonight and stay cold the next few days, so I’ll need to hunker down with some reading material.
http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Reuther/e/B009M5GVUW